1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for monitoring the position of a sleeping individual.
2. Description of the Related Art
During sleep, some people experience breathing irregularities which can result in snoring, for example. In more severe cases, an individual may experience sleep apnea, in which breathing is actually interrupted for periods of up to a minute or more, resulting in partial asphyxiation. This can cause various physical and/or mental impairment due to low blood oxygen. Sleep research has revealed that these disorders occur most commonly when an individual sleeps in some position, such as on his or her back, although other positions or combinations of positions are also possible. The sleep positions at which apneas and/or snoring occurs may differ for different individuals. To study sleep positions and to treat sleep disorders, such as to awaken the individual when in the certain position, monitors have been developed.
A sleep posture monitor and alarm system are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,525 which discloses a device for awakening a sleeping person when the person attempts to sleep in a single sleep posture. The device includes a ball-type position sensor, a time delay circuit, and an alarm or other device for generating emitted to awaken the sleeping individual and thereby enable the individual to move to a different sleep posture.